Dumpster rental in Washington: what disposal really costs
A dumpster quote bundles four things: delivery, rental days, the pickup and the weight at the landfill. In Washington, that last line runs from $46 to $243.38 a ton at the public landfills and transfer stations we've verified, so the same full container can cost several times as much to dump in one county as the next.
What Washington landfills charge by the ton
| Landfill or transfer station | Per ton | 3 tons | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima | $46 | $138 | Terrace Heights and Cheyne landfills; $12 minimum |
| Moses Lake (Grant County) | $49.33 | $147.99 | Ephrata Landfill; $4.93 minimum |
| Richland | $51.10 | $153.30 | City residents, $10 a load up to 1,200 lbs; $40 a load and $76.15 a ton for everyone else |
| Vancouver (Clark County) | $118.65 | $355.95 | Plus $10 a trip and 3.6% tax |
| Centralia (Lewis County) | $120 | $360 | $20 minimum (340 lbs); plus tax |
| Bremerton (Kitsap County) | $128.94 | $386.82 | Olympic View; $42 minimum (650 lbs); plus tax |
| Spokane County (North County & Valley) | $135.63 | $406.89 | $17 minimum (260 lbs); plus $3 a vehicle |
| Olympia (Thurston County) | $136 | $408 | Waste & Recovery Center in Lacey; $21 minimum under 300 lbs |
| Mount Vernon (Skagit County) | $141 | $423 | $28 minimum (380 lbs); $145 a ton in 2027 |
| Tacoma | $145 | $435 | City residents, $20 for the first 400 lbs; $170 a ton for everyone else |
| Spokane (Waste to Energy) | $152.60 | $457.80 | City of Spokane; $24.93 minimum; plus $2.68 a vehicle |
| Everett | $160 | $480 | Snohomish County stations; $30 minimum (360 lbs); plus tax |
| Seattle | $174 | $522 | North and South transfer stations; $37 minimum (420 lbs) |
| Bellingham | $190 | $570 | RDS in Ferndale, privately run; $15 minimum; plus tax |
| Puyallup | $202.35 | $607.05 | LRI Hidden Valley; $40.50 minimum (400 lbs) |
| King County | $243.38 | $730.14 | Renton, Bow Lake, Factoria and other County stations; $40.25 minimum |
That's the disposal line a dumpster company builds into its price, so the same full container costs very different amounts depending on where it's dumped. King County's transfer stations charge one of the highest rates we track anywhere, so a heavy load there costs several times what it would in Yakima County.
Weight is the part that costs you
EPA's standard conversion factors put mixed household junk at 250 to 300 lbs a cubic yard and construction and demolition debris at about 417 lbs. A full 20-yard container of household junk weighs about 2.5 to 3 tons; full of construction debris, about 4.2 tons.
At the Washington rates above, the disposal on 3 tons runs from $138 to $730.14, and 4.2 tons of debris from $193.20 to $1,022.20. Ask how many tons the quote includes and what each extra ton costs before you book.
What can't go in a dumpster in Washington
Everything in the container ends up at a Washington landfill or transfer station, so state disposal rules become your rules:
| Item | Washington rule |
|---|---|
| Whole tires | Not banned — but dumping them is (RCW 70A.205.400) |
| Car batteries | Lead-acid banned — RCW 70A.205.505 |
| Appliances | No state ban |
| TVs and computers | No — but recycling is free |
Paint, chemicals and other household hazardous waste never go in a dumpster; take them to your county's household hazardous waste drop-off.
Dumpster or junk removal?
A dumpster wins for a big project you load yourself over several days: a remodel, a roof, a whole-house cleanout. For a handful of heavy items or a one-day cleanout, a junk-removal crew is often cheaper, because you skip the rental days, the driveway and the weight tickets. If you have a truck, compare both with the small-load fee at your nearest site in our Washington cost guide.
For every Washington landfill, transfer station and drop-off we cover, start from our Washington page, or see what it costs to dump in Washington.
Common questions
How much does it cost to dump a dumpster load in Washington?
What can't you put in a dumpster in Washington?
Do I need a permit for a dumpster?
Hours, fees and rules change. Always call the facility to confirm before you load up. Sources: national per-ton rate table; what it costs to dump in Washington; US EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016); dumpster rental guide.